Fruit-picker.



A. B. PRAMPTON..

FRUIT PIGKEB. APPLICATION FILED 1 .13.13, 1903.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Inventor witnesses 415 by W I ms NORRIS PETERS cc., wasnmarulv, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAM E. FRAMPTON, OF BOONE, IOWA.

FRUIT-PICIGER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAM E. FRAMPTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boone, in the county of Boone and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful hanging to the tree in any position andmay then quickly and easily detach the fruit from the tree either bypulling the stem of the fruit from the branch or by cutting the stem.

A further object is to provide a series of small knife blades of simplelight and inexpensive construction that may be quickly and easilyattached to the fruit picker for the purpose of cutting fruit stems.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated areobtained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows aperspective view of the complete fruit picker embodying my invention.Fig. 2 shows a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows adetail sectional view of a part of the fruit picker on an enlarged scaleshowing one of the knife blades in engagement with a stem and Fig. 4shows a detail sectional view on the line 14 of Fig. 1. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings the reference numeral 10 is usedto indicate a wooden handle for the fruit picker, which handle may be ofany desired size or shape. On one end of the handle is a ferrule 11.

The reference numeral 12 is used to indi cate a circular wire loophaving its end portions 13 extended parallel with each other on oppositesides of the handle 10, the ends 14 thereof being inserted in openingsin the handle, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Attached to the circular loop12 is a bag 15.

I provide for engaging fruit in order to remove it from branches a wirewhich is provided with substantially right angled ends throughout itsbody portion and its end portions 16 are extended parallel with eachother on opposite sides of the handle 10 and the ends 17 thereof areinserted in openings in the handle, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. March 13, 1908.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Serial No. 420,938.

In order to firmly secure the end portions 13 and 16 to the handle Ipreferably wrap a wire 18 around the handle and over said end portions,as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The body portion of the wire extendsaround the top of the bag and forms a series of V-shaped portions, thesides of which are straight and are indicated by the numerals 19 and 20.The outer ends of said V-shaped portions are permanently connected withthe loop 12 by means of wire fastening loops 21 and the inner ends ofthe V-shaped ortions are inclined upwardly and inward y. It is importantthat the inner ends of said V-shaped portions be maintained in theirupwardly and inwardly inclined positions and this is done by firmlysecuring the end portions 16 to the handle. Hence it is not necessary toprovide any rigid attachment between the outer ends of the V-shapedportions and the'loop 12.

In order to provide for cutting fruit stems I use a series of smallknife blades, each made of a thin piece of sheet metal, com rising astraight body portion 22 sharpene at one edge and having loops 23 formedon its ends designed to encircle the parts 19 and 20 near the outer endof the V-shaped portions. The ends of the loops 23 are permanentlyconnected with the body portion 22 referably by rivets 2 1. In this waythe lades are firmly held to the V-shaped portions against movement inany direction, and furthermore the said blades tend to brace and supportthe V-shaped portions and to hold them in their upwardly and inwardlyinclined positions. The loop 12, the wire that has the V-sha ed portionsin it and the knife blades are al arranged so that they mutually braceand support each other, and hence none of them need be made heavy andyet when combined the fruit picker will be strong and durable.

In practical use I first place the bag in position so that the fruit tobe picked is in the center of the bag and I then move the bag so thatthe fruit stem is in one of the V-shaped portions; then the knife bladewill engage the fruit stem and the fruit stem may thus be severed andthe fruit will drop into the bag. By having the V-shaped portionsinclined both upwardly and inwardly I accomplish a very desirable resultin a device of this kind, because in the event that the article of fruitto be picked is hanging close to a heavy branch or tree trunk, then theoperator may, by tilting the bag to one side, insert the wire containingthe V-shaped portions between the article of fruit and the obstructionand thus the bag may be moved to position with the fruit stem betweenthe sides of the V-shaped portions no matter what the position of theobstruction may be relative to the person op erating the fruit icker. Indevices of this kind where the 'uit 1picking wires extend straightinwardly on t e outer rim or loop, it is necessary for the operator tostand in such osition that the bag may be placed under t e fruit to bepicked, and in order to do this the fruit must stand clear from anyobstruction; whereas with my device if the fruit were hanging close to asolid wall the wire having the V-shaped portions therein could be movedupwardly between the wall and the fruit and then turned to positionwhere the fruit could be pulled from the branch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, therefore is 1. An improved fruitpicker, comprising a handle, a circular wire loop connected with thehandle, a bag supported by the loop, a second circular wire loop havinga series of V-shaped portions therein, the ends of said second loopbeing secured to the handle, and means for connecting the outer parts ofsaid V-shaped portions to the said loop, the inner ends of said V-shapedportions being extended upwardly and inwardly.

2. A fruit picker, comprising a handle, a circular wire loop having itsends extended parallel with each other on opposite sides of the handle,a bag secured to said loop, a second wire loop having formed in its bodyportion a series of V-shaped portions, means for securing the outer artsof said V-shaped portions to the said cop, the inner parts of saidV-shaped portions being inclined inwardly and away from the bag, theends of said second loop being extended parallel with each other onopposite sides of the handle and inserted in the handle and means forsecuring the ends of both loops to the handle against movement in anydirection.

3. A fruit picker, comprising a handle, a circular wire loo having itsends extended parallel with eac other on opposite sides of the handle, abag secured to said loop, a second loop having formed in its body.ortion a series of V-shaped portions, means or securing the outer partsof said V-shaped portions to the said loop, the inner parts of said V-shaped portions being inclined inwardly and away from the bag, the endsof said second loop being extended parallel with each other on o positesides of the handle and inserted in t e handle and means for securingthe ends of both loops to the handle against movement in any direction,and a series of knife blades each comprising a straight body portion,sharpened at one edge and having loops at its ends arranged in positionoverlapping the sides of one of said V-shaped portions to the bodyportion of the blade.

ABRAM E- FRAMPTON.

Witnesses:

S. L. OHRISTY, RALPH ORWIG.

